Bail-anchor



H. H. SPONENBURG.

Patented Aug. 24, l92

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES HIRAM H. SPONENBURG, OF GURNEE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR,

PATENT OFFICE.

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

'ro omo n. BARNETT, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

e, 51.55 RAIL-ANCHOR.

1,350,676. Specicationof Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 24, 1920 Application filed October 3, 1919. Serial No. 328,252.

To all 'whom t may concern: y

Be it known `that LVHIRAM'H. SroNnN- BURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gurnee, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for re-` sisting the tendency of railroad rails to move longitudinally, such devices being known generally as rail anchors, anti-creepers and rail stays.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel one-piece device of the above character which may be readily applied to rails, the base flanges of which vary in width or thickness, which will maintain its initial grip on the rail with spring pressure and which will increase its grip on the rail during any longitudinal movement of therail.

The more specific objects of the invention are to provide. a railj anchor marleentirely of spring rnetalV having aws adapted to engage'opposite edges ofthe baseflange of the rail .and which are so formed that they will minimize thenrocking action' vof the anchor during the presence of a creeping pressure on the rail. The preferred form of anchor also contemplates the portion of the anchor intermediate the jaws being formed so that it will flex to facilitate the application of the device to its operative position on the rail and which will also flex in a manner to increase the grip ofthe jaws on the rail base during the presence of a creeping pressure. l

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel spring metal anchor device which is formed Aso that itv will flex to increase the grip of'its jaws on the rail base when the rail moves longitudinally inA eithery a forward or rearward direction.

The invention has` for further objects such other novel and improved construction .as

willbe hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the abovementioned objects and such othernincidental objects as will appear from the yfollowing specifica,- tion. A

Y The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings wherein: j

Figure 1 is a plan view of a rail anchor device constructed in accordance with my invention and illustrating the manner in wh1chthe'-device is flexed during the appllcation ofthe kjaws to the edge of the rail base;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective illustrating the device shown in Fig. 1 in its applied position to the base flange of the rail;

l Fig. 3 is a front view in elevation of the anchor shown in the preceding figures, and illustrating one of the positions which it assumes during its application to the rail;

F 1g. 4 is a view in perspective of my preferred form of rail anchor;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of rail anchor showing the same applied to the base flange of a rail. The rail in this figure being shown in dotted line; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view Ataken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in Vthe several figures of the drawings. y

Referring firstfto Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawings, 10 designates a railroad rail and 11 one of the cross ties on which the rail is supp'ortech The device shown in the above figures ismade from a piece of relativelyl thin'spring metal so that it may be readily flexed when it is applied to the rail or during acreeping pressure to increase its grip on the-rail, as will be hereinafter more specifically described. The device is provided with jaw portions 12, 13 which are formed by bending the metal blank in, preferablybut not necessarily, opposite directions. The portionll of the anchor intervening between the jaw portions is narrower than the jaw portion so as to extend under the base flange of the rail and to provide vertical edges -which areformed with recesses 154-15, 16-1'6 which fit over opposite edges of the base so thatthe lips 17, 18 of the jaws will bear against the inclined l surfaces of the rail base. The portion of the anchor intervening between the jaws 12, 13 is curved, preferably outwardly from the tie, so that the distance between the jaws is normally less than the width of the rail base to which the device is applied, thus requiring the curved portion 14 to be tensioned that is, partly straightened out when the anchor is applied to the base flange of the rail. The portion of the metal blank adjacent the jaw 13 is bent as indicated at 19 to provide a tie-,abutting flange 20 and the free end 21 of the blank extends from the tie abutting flange to the inner face of' the curved portion 14.

To apply the device to the rail the jaw 13 is engaged with one edge of the base flange as shown in Fig. 3, so that the lips 18, 1S bear against the upper surface of the flange. The lips are preferably bent at an angle to each other and stand diagonally across the base of the flange, so that they will yield as they are forced upward on the inclined surface of the rail base. A crowbar 22, or other suitable device. is positioned in the bend of the jaw 12 (Fig. 3) and the jaw forced outwardly until the curved portion 14 of the anchor is straightened out sufficiently to permit the edge of the lips 17, 17, to clear the opposite edge of the rail base substantially as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. As the jaw 12 is being forced outwardly it is also raised slightly so that it will snap over the edge of the rail base. The upper edges of the lips 17, 17, are preferably beveled so that they will bear against and ride over the edge of the rail base, and in this way 'facilitate the application of the device to the rail. rfhe tendency which the. curved portion 14 of the anchor has to return to the normal position from which it was sprung causes the recesses 15, 16, of the jaws 12, 13, to take a firm grip on opposite edges of the rail base. When the device is applied to a rail having a base flange of maximum thickness, the inner edges 23, 24, of the recesses 15, 16, stand out of engagement with the vertical edges of the rail base. lVhen the device is applied to rails having base flanges of such thickness as will permit the recesses of the aws to be forced entirely on the flange, the edges 23, 24 of the recesses engage the vertical edges of the base fiange and during a creeping pressure will take a biting hold thereon. lVhen the rail creeps in a direction toward the tie 11, the jaw portions, being gripped to the edges of the base flange by spring action, move with the rrail while the curved portion is subjected to a further flexing action by being in contact with the relatively stationary arm 21 of the tie-abutting foot 20. This additional fiexing of the. portion 14 of the anchor, it will be seen, tends to shorten the distance between the aws 12, 13 and increases their grip transversely of the rail base.A

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated a modified form of device which consists of jaw portions 12a, 13n formed substantially the same as jaws 12, 13, shown in the preceding gures, and provided with a tie-abutting flange 20a and an extension 21n which bears against the inner face ofthe curved portion 14 in substantially the same manneras that described in connection with the preceding figures, and is adapted tovperform substantially the same functions as previously described, that is, to grip the edges of the rail with a spring pressure and to increase said grip by subjecting the curved portion 14a to an additional flexing action during the presence of a creeping pressure on the rail tending to move the rail longitudinally toward the tie 11a. In this form of the anchor, instead of making the jaw 12 with a relatively short hook portion as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, I have provided the jaw .12"L with an extension or arm 25 which extends transversely of the rail base. The outer end of the portion 25 is bent so as to extend longitudinally of the rail and bears against the outer face of the curved portion 14ZL so that an increased gripping action will be produced by causing an increased flexing action of the curved portion 14a when the rail creeps in a direction away from the tie 11, )articularly during the winter' when the ballast is frozen, so as to prevent the rail anchor from moving with the rail.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor having jaws adapted to engage opposite edges of a rail base at a plurality of points; the distance between the jaws being normally'less than the width of the rail base, and the device being adapted to be flexed to permit its application to the rail.

2. A rail anchor having jaws adapted to engage opposite edges of a rail base at a plurality of points; the distance between the jaws being normally less than the width of the rail base, and the device being adapted to be flexed laterally of the rail in its application to the base flange thereof.

3. A rail anchor formed with bends providing aws adapted to engage `opposite edges of a rail base at a plurality of points; the distance between thevjaws beingnormally less than the width of the rail base, and the device being adapted to be flexedV to permit its application to .the rail,

4. A rail anchor having jaws adapted to engage opposite edges of a rail base at a plurality of points and formed with a bend intermediate the jaws adapted to be strained in its application Vto a rail.

5. A rail anchor having a tie abutting foot and a body portion provided with jaws having recesses inspacedrelation to each other adapted to engage opposite edges of the base flange of a rail at a plurality of points and formed with a bend intermediate the jaws adapted to be strained in its application to a railrwhereby the Vinitial grip of said jaws'on the rail is maintained by the tensioned condition of said body portion. v

6. A railanchor comprising a piece of spring metal bent to provide a tie abutting foot and to form jaw portions which enpoints longitudinally remote from each other; the distance between the jaw portions being normally less than the width of the rail base and the portion of the anchor intermediate the jaws being formed with a bend adapted to be straightened when the device is applied to a rail.

7. A rail anchor' comprising a piece of spring metal bent to provide a tie abutting foot and to form aw portions which engage opposite edges of the rail base at points longitudinally remote from each other; the distance between the jaw portions being normally less than the width of the rail base and the portion of the anchor intermediate the jaws being formed with a bend which is flexed to permit the application of the device to the rail and which is adapted to flex during the presence of a creeping pressure to increase its grip on the rail.

8. A rail anchor comprising a body por tion formed with jaws which engage opposite edges of a rail base and formed with a tie abutment which engages withthe said body portion to produce a flexing actionof said body to increase the grip of the jaws on thc rail base when the rail moves longitudinally toward the tie.

9. A rail anchor comprising a body portion formed with jaws which engage opposite edges of a rail base and formed with a tie abutment which engages with the said body portion intermediate the jaws to produce a flexing action of said body to increase the grip of the jaws on the rail base when the rail moves longitudinally toward the tie.

10. A rail anchor made from a flat piece of steel which is bent and the bent portion formed with recesses providing jaws which fit over opposite edges of a rail base at a plurality of points, the said jaws being adapted to be forced apart in applying the device to a rail.

11. A rail anchor made from a piece of spring metal recessed to provide a plurality of spaced jaws on opposite sides of the rail and formed with a tie abutment adapted to flex the anchor to increase its hold on the rail during a creeping pressure.

12. A rail anchor made from a piece of spring metal recessed to provide a plurality of spaced jaws at opposite ends of the device which engage with the base flange of the rail and formed with a tie .abutment adapted to flex the anchor to increase its hold on the rail during a creeping pressure.

13. A rail anchor made from a piece of spring metal recessed to provide a plurality of spaced jaws at opposite ends of the device which engage with the base flange of the rail and formed with a tie abutment adapted to flex the anchor to increase its hold on the rail during a creeping pressure; the portion of the anchor intervening between the jaws being formed with a curve which is partly straightened to permit the jaws to be applied to their operative posi tion.

14. A rail anchor made from a flat piece of' spring metal having one end bent to provide a tie abutting foot and the bent portion recessed to provide a jaw which fits over one edge of the base flange of a rail and the other end of the device being formed with a reverse bend which is recessed to provide a jaw adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rail base; the said tie abutting foot being provided with an extension engaging the portion of the device intervening between the jaws whereby the device is flexed during the creeping action of the rail to increase its grip transversely of the rail.

15. A rail anchor made from a flat piece of spring metal having one end bent to provide a tie abutting foot and the bent portion recessed to provide a rail base engaging jaw the upper lips of which extend diagonally across the inclined surface of the base flange and are adapted to yield to compensate for variations in the thickness of said flange and the other end of the device being formed with a reverse bend which is recessed to provide a jaw adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rail base; the said tie abutting foot being provided with an extension engaging the portion of the device intervening between the jaws whereby the device is flexed during the creeping action of the rail to increase its grip transversely of the rail.

HIRAM H. SPONENBURG. 

